Beaverton Township to discuss power source for marijuana plant

A Beaverton Township special meeting next week will help officials determine if there will be three-phase electric power at a new marijuana grow plant at McCullough and Lang roads.

"This is not going to be a protest," said Beaverton Township Supervisor Tim Mickler. "I'm not going to allow it."

He said the meeting, set for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Beaverton Township Hall, located at the corner of Dale and Townhall roads, will focus on the power source.

Yet, residents against the facility plan to be at the meeting to voice their opposition. A group of residents told the Daily News the project being proposed is in the middle of Amish country and they knew nothing about it.

Mickler said the 30-acre proposed grow facility already has its state and federal permits and licenses. Per the township board, it is a done deal. He said all that is left to decide is if the residents will approve three-phase electric power. The supervisor said that will determine if they process the plants inside a building or outside.

The three-phase power alternates the electric current generation, distribution and transmission. It is used to power large motors or other heavy electric loads.

Mickler said he would prefer marijuana be processed inside to cut down on any potential odor.

"If I were a resident in that area, I would want the smell contained inside," Mickler said.

The township was only one of three areas in Gladwin County to opt into authorizing and permitting commercial marijuana facilities. He knows there are some people who don't agree with having it in their community. Yet, Mickler said they notified residents via public notices.

He said it was a "hard decision" for the board to opt into allowing such facilities.

"We felt we needed some way to regulate (marijuana) if it becomes legal in November," Mickler said. "It was not about the money."

He notes the $5,000 for applications to be considered to operate in the township is helpful and will be used. But it was not the deciding factor for opting into commercial marijuana. The township also receives an additional $5,000 annually per facility to maintain the licensing under the township ordinance.

Mickler doesn't expect it will be long before the respective facility is up and running.

"They will break ground as soon as they have the property title," Mickler said.

He said no one is complaining about another, smaller marijuana facility that has been operating in the township since May. He said this is an issue of a group of people who don't want it on their block.